Stock seat clarification please

[Rory McNeil]

Originally Posted by Jim Wahl

You sir are a perfect example of the type of person I was speaking of in my previous post! Thanks for your post. You actually would prefer your 26 year old stock seat made for comfort over a racing seat made for crash survival? I bet you don't think you really need a helmet either. To bad they won't let you wear that chrome WW2 German motorcycle helmet you think looks so cool! Jim


.

I guess my factory 26 year old seats were good enough to pass whatever crash impact standards were in place when my Mustang was new. The seat frames and tracks are all steel, and held together with fairly sturdy brackets and fasteners. I do have "race" seats in my bracket car, somehow I doubt that the 4 threaded mounting inserts molded into the seat base are as strong as the factory stuff. I think the "race" seat agenda for most people is for weight savings, at least in my opinion. Personally, I wish Stock was more like it was at least 15 or 20 more years ago, no lightweight race brakes, wheelie bars, aftermarket aluminum heads, etc. I was one of the (few?) who was actually hoping NHRA was going to be pulling pistons and rods, and weighing them, as well pouring heads for runner volume, funny how so many people claimed to have "untouched, origional factory castings that were bigger than the SUPER STOCK specs'!
I know that I am not alone in thinking that Stock Eliminator has gone way, way, too leinient will the rules and the "enhanchments" some vocal racers have been claiming they need to be competetive with the "Brand X, Y, Z" cars. I never met "Farmer" Dismuke, but he certainly sounds like the kind of guy that strived to keep the STOCK in Stock Eliminator. Too bad his hard line on the rulebook has been so erroded over the years. Sometimes It seems that Stock is headed to become nothing more than a small tire bracket class, without a hood scoop. I don`t think thats a good thing, do you? Also, since you are so worried about crashing, I`m sure that all your bumper hardware, door guard beams, and undercarrige bracing still intact, right?

[Chad Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Rory McNeil

I guess my factory 26 year old seats were good enough to pass whatever crash impact standards were in place when my Mustang was new. The seat frames and tracks are all steel, and held together with fairly sturdy brackets and fasteners.I spoke with a friend of mine who is a vehicle dynamics engineer at GM and asked him specifically about seat testing. To sum it up, they are never tested above 70 mph, never with a seatbelt system that has no "give", and most definitly not with a roll bar directly behind them. He was specifically concerned about the roll bar and or mounting to it, because it could place an undintended stress on the seat and CAUSE it to break I do have "race" seats in my bracket car, somehow I doubt that the 4 threaded mounting inserts molded into the seat base are as strong as the factory stuff. I think the "race" seat agenda for most people is for weight savings, at least in my opinion. if you feel safe with the possibility of a 150mph 3200lbs cobrajet in your lane with a stock seat, you're more than welcome to use them. However NHRA should not prevent racers from using a safer product. Personally, I wish Stock was more like it was at least 15 or 20 more years ago, no lightweight race brakes, wheelie bars, aftermarket aluminum heads, etc. I was one of the (few?) who was actually hoping NHRA was going to be pulling pistons and rods, and weighing them, as well pouring heads for runner volume, funny how so many people claimed to have "untouched, origional factory castings that were bigger than the SUPER STOCK specs'!
I know that I am not alone in thinking that Stock Eliminator has gone way, way, too leinient will the rules and the "enhanchments" some vocal racers have been claiming they need to be competetive with the "Brand X, Y, Z" cars. I never met "Farmer" Dismuke, but he certainly sounds like the kind of guy that strived to keep the STOCK in Stock Eliminator. Too bad his hard line on the rulebook has been so erroded over the years. Sometimes It seems that Stock is headed to become nothing more than a small tire bracket class, without a hood scoop. I don`t think thats a good thing, do you? Also, since you are so worried about crashing, I`m sure that all your bumper hardware, door guard beams, and undercarrige bracing still intact, right?

The SCCA allows ANY race car even low speed showroom stock autocross classes to use a racing seat.............................of course they actually have their racers interests at heart too.

[Dinsdale]

Percentage wise, out of all the drag strip passes in a year, how many Stock Eliminator cars actually crash? You can't compare road racing or any other motorsport so that argument for light weight seats doesn't wash. I agree with Rory in that all the allowed "safety" and other improvements have long ago taken "Stock" out of Stock Class racing. I still thnk there is something wrong with a system that lets a Stock car cross over into Super Stock and still be a legitimate qualifier. Seems like one and the same car to me.

[Chad Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Dinsdale

Percentage wise, out of all the drag strip passes in a year, how many Stock Eliminator cars actually crash? You can't compare road racing or any other motorsport so that argument for light weight seats doesn't wash. I agree with Rory in that all the allowed "safety" and other improvements have long ago taken "Stock" out of Stock Class racing. I still thnk there is something wrong with a system that lets a Stock car cross over into Super Stock and still be a legitimate qualifier. Seems like one and the same car to me.

With all the new cars going even faster, in lighter classes, I will guarantee the rate of on track incidents is going to go up sharply.

[Dwight Southerland]

Originally Posted by Chad Rhodes

With all the new cars going even faster, in lighter classes, I will guarantee the rate of on track incidents is going to go up sharply.

Verifiable data? They said the same thing when the Hemi Cudas and Darts started running over 130. History has proven otherwise.

History also suggests that when the rules start allowing modifications to systems that the auto manufacturers spent millions to engineer to provide safe cars, people screw up and cause more accidents than the equipment.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for safe racing. Just don't "OSHA" yourself into making claims that are based on rationalized fear-based emotions rather than on the real world. How many people have been killed by three-year old seat belts? How many five-year old scattershields have failed?

[Run to Rund]

If the belts were left out in the sun all the time, with rain and salt air, they would eventually lose strength. Yet, the racing organizations with the kind of cars that are left out don't seem to require frequent replacements. As for bell housings, I guess metal evaporates off of them so fast that they will fail after 5 years, lol.

[Mickey Whaley]

A racing seat would be better thats common sense and it is no advantage in performance, NHRA should allow them if you want them, only the driver seat, if you dont Dont. Did they teach common sense in school?

[Chad Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Dinsdale

Percentage wise, out of all the drag strip passes in a year, how many Stock Eliminator cars actually crash? You can't compare road racing or any other motorsport so that argument for light weight seats doesn't wash. I agree with Rory in that all the allowed "safety" and other improvements have long ago taken "Stock" out of Stock Class racing. I still thnk there is something wrong with a system that lets a Stock car cross over into Super Stock and still be a legitimate qualifier. Seems like one and the same car to me.

and the comparison to SCCA was not to road racing but to Solo II autocross. That's one car on the track, in a set of cones, usually not exceeding 100mph. The see it fit to allow race seats because if they did not, and someone were injured in a method that could have been prevented, they feel that they would be responsible for it.

[Rusty Davenport]

I missed the subject on the post last year......thanks for the reply.........I don't know how they let super stock have it and not stock but I will not have a heart attack over it.....the worse thing to ever happen to stock and super stock racing was when they let head cheaters push them into the ported head rule in super stock.......it is happening now in stock all over again so we might as well join them if you can't beat them. It is only money.

[dartman]

Originally Posted by Dinsdale

Percentage wise, out of all the drag strip passes in a year, how many Stock Eliminator cars actually crash?

It only take one crash and a good seat could be the difference in saving a life.Some of those older cars are going 130mph + and old seat are not made for those speeds.

ps I'm not crying wolf.better safe than dead